Yoke and coupler butt connection



Sept. 11, 1934. 5 ows 1,972,855

YOKE AND COUPLER BUTT CONNECTION Filed March 8, 1928 Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UiTED STATES. PATENF 1,972,855 YOKE AND COUPLER BUTT CONNECTION Donald S. Barrows, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to The Symington Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maryland Application March 8, 1928, Serial No. 260,057 8 Claims. (01. 213-72) The invention relates to draft rigging for rail- Referring more particularly to the drawing, the way cars and has special reference to the connecnumeral 1 designates a coupler butt or stem havtion of the coupler stem or shank with the yoke. ing its rear end formed with extensions 2 and 3 The principal object of the invention, generally projecting above and below the top andbottom j considered, is to provide a pivotally connected surfaces of the major portion and defining subcoupler stem and vertical yoke so constructed and stantially vertical shoulders 4. i I I arranged as to provide adequate bearing means The yoke, indicated generally at 5, is of the, permitting rolling or rocking movement during vertical type and includes, spaced arms 6 corn draft or buff without bringing any strain upon nectedrby a bight portion '7 ,at their rear ends and 101 the pivotal connection itself. terminating at their forward ends in projections 55 An important object of the invention is to proor lugs '8 which extend toward each other ,or invide a coupler stem and yoke connection in which wardly, as shown. The closed or bight portion '7 the pivotal connection acts simply to prevent unis preferably reinforced by a rib or web 9 located desired displacement of the parts, relatively large centrallythereof, extending beyond or about the 151 surfaces being provided for taking the thrust on angles or corners, and having its end portions 10 7;)- draft or buff so as to relieve the pivotal connectmerging into the arms 6 at points forwardly of ing means of strains. the corners. The inner surface ofthebight por- Another object of the invention is to provide tion '7, of course, serves as a seat or abutment for a vertical yoke and coupler combination in which the rear follower of whatever cushioning mechago; the thrust receiving surfaces on the former are of nism is employed in conjunction with the yoke. 75- such character and shape as to permit rocking The gear or cushioning means is not-illustrated as movement of the coupler butt at all times, as is such is unnecessary to a proper understandingof necessary when a car travels over curved track. the invention, it being'sufficient that the, front Another object of'the invention is to provide and rear followers 11 and 12, respectively, are

251 a vertical yoke in which the portions receiving indicated by dot and dash line's. the draft thrust are specially constructed to em- The inner surfaces of the projections 8 are body adequate reinforcement and in which the curved or inclined forwardly and outwardly from portion taking the thrust under buff acts as a their longitudinal center line, as indicated at 13; reinforcement for the arms of the yoke and prer a p p to be eXpleihei. The f rd 130; vents spreading thereof. ends of the arms, are preferably reinforced by 5 Still another object of the invention is to ribs r w b 14 located t h d e n pr j c provide a yoke in which the rear or bight poring outw y beyond the, corners, at the ju ction is formed with a special reinforcement actturesofthe p j s 3 Wi h t e arms, these ing to increase the rigidity and strength. webs merging into the top and bottom surfaces An additional object of the invention is to pro- Of' t e arms- 7 vide a coupler butt and yoke combination of this Extending vertically between and, formed intype which may be used to replace one of ordinary tegrally with the yoke arms 6 is an abutment pattern without involving any material changes or front wall member 15 which is engaged by in the construction of the other parts of the rigthe front follower 11, and the front surface of ,40 ging, which will be simple and inexpensive to thismember is curved or inclined rearwardly and 95 manufacture, easy to assemble, positive in action, outwardly from its longitudinal center, as shown efficient and durable in service, and a general imat 1.6. V The arms 6, forwardly he Wall 15, are provement in the art. preferably tapered or decreased in width toward To the attainment of the foregoing and other their ends and the reinforcing ribs n y objects and advantages, the invention preferably verticalflanges 14 tapered or increased-in width 100 consists in the combination and arrangement of t a m m adjacent the sheu1ders-4 to p opparts to be hereinafter more fully described and erly reinforce Said erms- The Space b e th claimed, and illustrated in the accompanyin abutmentmember 15, the extensions 8 and fordrawing, in which: 1 ward portions of the yoke arms receives the en- 1 Figure 1 is a view partly in top plan and partly larged rear end of the coupler butt which must, 5 in horizontal sectionshowing the yoke and couof course, be inserted from the side of the yoke pler butt assembled. by a lateral movement with'respect theerto. The

Figure-2 is a side elevation thereof with a porparts areheld assembled by a vertically extendtion of the lower part of-theyoke broken away ns bolt which passesv through ui l holes i d i tio 18-incthe yoke; arms anda hole 19 in-thecoupli r 11 butt, these holes, and particularly the hole 19, being sufficiently larger in diameter than the bolt to permit the coupler to move forwardly or rearwardly into engagement with the surfaces 13 or 16 without bringing any pressure against the bolt. In this way the bolt serves as a loose pivotal connection operating to hold the parts assembled. while at the same time it is not sub.- jected to any strain in service. v

In the operation it will be seen that upon draft the shoulders 4 of the coupler butt engage against and are capable of rocking .movement upon the surface 13, and that upon buff the rear end of the coupler butt engages against and is capableof rocking movement upon the .surface .l6of the abutment member, sufficient longitudinal clearance, for that purpose being provided, between the extensions 2-3 and the surfaces 4 and 13, as shown in Fig. 1. The coupler can thus ac' commodate itself to train movement around curves. The abutment member 15 acts as a very efi'icient reinforcing strut preventing any spreading tendency of the yoke arms. The web 9 also serves the same purpose but to a more limited extent. The strains against the right angularly projecting extensions 8 can have no ill effects owing to the provision of the reinforcing webs or ribs 14 which greatly strengthen the forward ends of the arms. It will be noted that the yoke arms are preferably widened slightly where the rear end of the coupler butt is received and that the forward extremity may be reduced in width, as shown, so as to avoid excessive width in the surface engaged by the coupler butt on draft. It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art without further explana tion.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a coupler stem having projections at its rear end defining substantially vertical shoulders, a vertical yoke receiving the rear end of the coupler stem and having bearing surfaces located in advance of and co-acting with said shoulders and further including an integral wall portion disposed rearwardly of said stem for the full height thereof and formed with a bearing surface co-acting with the rear surface of said stem, the first named bearing surface curving forwardly and outwardly from its longitudinal center and the second named bearing surface curving outwardly and rearwardly from its longitudinal center, and a pivot member extending vertically through the yoke and coupler stem, with sufficient clearance to avoid undue strain on said pin upon normal relative angling between coupler and yoke, and disposed intermediate said bearing surfaces.

2. In combination, a coupler stem having projections at its rear end defining substantially vertical shoulders, a vertical yoke comprising arms receiving the rear end of the coupler stem and having bearing surfaces located in advance of and co-acting with said shoulders and further including a wall connecting the arms of the yoke and formed with a bearing surface co-acting with the rear surface of the coupler stem, the first named bearing surface curving forwardly and outwardly from its longitudinal center and the second named bearing surface curving outwarde ly and rearwardly from its longitudinal center, and a pivot member extending vertically through the yoke and coupler stern and lying between the butt shoulders and the yoke wall, the yoke and couplerstem having holes accommodating the pivot member of such size as to permit engagement of the coupler stem with the bearing surfaces without bringing strain upon the pivot member.

I 3. In combination, a coupler stem having projections at its rear end defining substantially vertical shoulders, a vertical yoke comprising arms receiving the rear end of the coupler stem and having inwardly extending portions providing bearing surfaces located in advance of and coacting with said shoulders and further including a wall connecting said arms and formed With a convex bearing surface coacting with the rear surface of the coupler stem, the portions of said ,arms lying on either, side of said stem tapering forwardly and reinforced on their outer surfaces,

.to compensate forsaid tapering, from the inner ends of the inwardly extending portions to beyond said wall, and an upright member pivotally connecting the yoke loosely to the coupler stem.

4. In combination, a coupler stem having projections at its rear end defining substantially vertical shoulders, a vertical yoke comprising spaced arms receiving the rear end of the coupler stem and having transversely extending lugs providing bearing surfaces located in advance of and coacting with said shoulders and further including a wall connecting said arms and formed with a bearing surface coacting with the rear surface of the coupler stem, the first-named bearing surface curving forwardly and outwardly from its longitudinal center and the second-named bearing surface curving outwardly and rearwardly from its longitudinal center, the arms of said yoke forwardly of said wall decreasing in width toward their ends and reinforced along their edges by normally vertical flanges continued to the ends of said lugs, and an upright member loosely intersecting said stem and yoke to maintain assembly thereof.

5. A vertical yoke comprising spaced arms adapted to receive the rear end of a coupler stem and having bearing lugs adapted to coact with shoulders on said stem, and further including a wall connecting said arms and formed with a convex bearing surface adapted to coact with the rear surface of said stem, the free ends of said arms forwardly of said wall being apertured to receive an upright pin for maintaining assembly between said yoke and stem and reinforced by marginal flanges tapering from rearward of said wall to a maximum adjacent said lugs, and continued to the ends thereof to especially reinforce the junctions between said lugs and arms.

6. A vertical yoke comprising spaced arms formed to receive the rear end of an associated coupler stem and having bearing lugs adapted to coact with the forward ends of shouldered portions on said stem, and further including a wall connecting said arms and formed with a bearing surface adapted to coact with the rear surface of said stem, said arms being apertured between said lugs and wall for receiving an upright pin for maintaining assembly between said yoke and stem, the lugs on said yoke providing bearing surfaces curving forwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal center line, and the bearing surface on the wall curving outwardly and rearwardly from the longitudinal center line, the arms forwardly of said wall decreasing in width towards their ends and reinforced by normally vertical flanges continued to the ends of the bearings lugs to especially reinforce between said lugs and arms.

7. In combination, a coupler stem having upthe junctions ward and downward extensions at its rear portion defining substantially vertical shoulders, a yoke having vertically spaced arms terminating at their forward ends in extensions directed toward each other and co-acting with said shoulders, an abutment member formed integral with and connecting the arms of the yoke and presenting a convex surface co-acting with the rear surface of the coupler stem, and means extending through the stem and yoke for pivotally connecting said coupler stem loosely with the yoke, said arms having their forward portions formed with ribs extending outwardly beyond the corners, for reinforcing the junctions between said extensions and arms, and merging into the arms rearwardly of said abutment member.

8. In combination, a coupler stem having upward and downward extensions at its rear portion defining substantially vertical shoulders, a

yoke having vertically spaced arms terminating at their forward ends in extensions directed toward each other and having convexly curved rear surfaces coacting with said shoulders on draft, an abutment member formed integral with and connecting the arms of the yoke and convexly curved on its front surface force-acting with the rear surface of the coupler stem on buff, and means extending through the coupler and yoke and disposed between the yoke extensions and abutment member for pivotally connecting the coupler stem loosely with the yoke, suflicient 1ongitudinal clearance being provided between the coupler extensions and the shoulders and abutment member to allow rolling action between said shoulders and yoke extensions on draft, and between the rear surface of the stem and said abutment member on buff;

DONALD S. BARROWS. 

